Soil Microbial and Enzymatic Diversity as Affected by the Presence of Xenobiotics

Soil biodiversity and in particular soil microbial and enzymatic diversity are of paramount importance for assuring and maintaining a healthy soil. Any event that can impair them may alter, even irreversibly, the quality of soil and consequently the safety of environment and human life. Xenobiotic substances, i.e., foreign chemical substances of different chemical and structural complexities, not recognized by existing degradative enzymes, have been released into the environment by several industrial and/or agricultural activities. When reach soil, they may accumulate in it because several of these chemicals are recalcitrant and resist to any kind of degradative transformation. Negative effects on the life and functioning of microbial organisms may derive. Several investigations have been devoted to understanding the effect of xenobiotics on soil microorganisms and enzymes by using traditional and advanced methodologies. This chapter will briefly survey the mutual interactions establishing in soil among xenobiotic substances and microbial and enzymatic soil activities.